BASF to speed up process, advanced materials, bioscience research

5:31 AM, 10th June 2016

BASF is further speeding up and focusing on its research and development activities, to maintain its successful track record in the innovation-driven world of chemical and technology companies which are characterized by a constant process of change.

LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY: BASF SE said that it is further speeding up and focusing on its research and development (innovative) activities, to maintain its successful track record in the innovation-driven world of chemical and technology companies which are characterized by a constant process of change.

Verbund delivers strong figuresVerbund is BASF strength. The Verbund principle enables the company to add value as one company through efficient use of our resources.

Innovations based on chemistry require market-oriented research and development that focuses strongly on the needs of customers. In order to bring promising ideas to market even faster, BASF regularly assesses its research projects using a multistep process and focuses its topics accordingly.

The central research areas are: process research & chemical engineering, advanced materials & systems research and bioscience research these serve as BASF’s three global research platforms, headquartered in the company’s main regions – Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.

Process research & chemical engineering

For this research platform, they focus on specialty zeolite, such as BASF’s copper chabazite, which play a vital role in emission-control catalysts for diesel engines because they are especially efficient at removing nitrogen oxides from exhaust gas.

To meet the demand, BASF researchers are continually working on developing the next generation of specialty zeolites. Using sophisticated raw materials and processes, they can adjust the size of the pores in order to make particles that are more consistent. BASF has also developed a boron-based catalyst technology (BoroCat) that enables refineries to increase yields of valuable products like gasoline, diesel and other fuels from crude oil.

The nickel contained in crude oil presents a particular challenge to further processing, as it significantly increases the generation of undesirable by-products like petroleum coke and hydrogen. Containing an optimized pore structure, the new BoroCat fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst intercepts nickel in processing, thus preventing undesirable chemical reactions.

Advanced materials & systems research

For this research platform, they focus on the topic “noise, vibration and harshness.” BASF experts are investigating the possibilities of minimizing unwanted noise and vibrations by using material and component design. This is becoming increasingly important since both background noise levels and vibrations continue to grow as our home and work environments become more automated. At the same time, the noises are changing.

An interdisciplinary BASF team comprising chemists, physicists and engineers is improving various polymer solutions that can be used to optimize frequencies in the range that can be felt and heard: from 1 to 20,000 Hertz. Depending on the frequency range and the requirements, the team is able to change the design of components and/or the molecular or foam structure of the materials used (polyamides, polyurethanes, melamine resin foams) with computer simulations.

Bioscience researchFor this research platform, they focus on a new, improved phytase (NatuphosE) for animal nutrition developed by BASF researchers. Phytase is an enzyme that helps animals to better digest the phosphate contained in plants. But many enzymes are heat-sensitive and can be destroyed by the high temperatures in the pelleting process used to make animal feed, thus rendering the enzymes ineffective.

To develop an effective, thermostable phytase, BASF researchers examined numerous different phytases that exist in bacteria and then developed the best possible hybrid from these using biotechnological methods. This was then further improved and an appropriate production strain based on the fungus Aspergillus niger was developed for the fermentation (biotechnological production) of the enzyme. The new phytase has already been launched in some countries in Asia and US.

“Our R&D success factors are creativity, efficiency and integration. Fostering creativity and creating the conditions necessary to achieve it are among the company’s most important tasks. Creative and efficient work is also supported by integration. We gain speed by constantly challenging ourselves to flexibly react to changes and to tackle the right topics in a focused way,” said Dr Martin Brudermuller, vice chairman of the board of executive directors, BASF.